urban development

When it comes to water, South Florida has a lot in common with the Netherlands. Both regions are close to sea level and rely on canals, seawalls and pumps to prevent flooding. And both face an increasing threat from sea-level rise.

So it makes sense that Dutch officials and South Florida leaders exchange a lot of advice on resiliency.

A day after concerns about westward growth sunk a request to extend the 836 expressway into Kendall, Miami-Dade’s mayor stepped in to try to revive the proposal with county commissioners.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez called for the commission to reconsider Tuesday’s 3-2 committee vote against the proposed extension. The plan would take the busy expressway past the county’s Urban Development Boundary, which divides intense development from land with growth restrictions designed to protect the Everglades.

A controversial proposal to extend State Road 836 -- aka the Dolphin Expressway -- is making its way to Miami-Dade County commissioners. The extension would be a 15-mile north-south highway to and from the Kendall area; it would give commuters another highway option west of Florida’s Turnpike. Critics say the extension would bring development farther west and closer to the Everglades.

A controversial proposal to extend State Road 836 — aka the Dolphin Expressway — has been delayed on its route to the Miami-Dade County Commission.

The county’s Government Operations Committee, which consists of five county commissioners, announced Tuesday it's deferring until next month a vote on the plan that would extend the western end of 836 south by about 15 miles into Kendall. The plan aims to give commuters another highway option west of Florida’s Turnpike. But critics say the expansion would encourage more development in agricultural areas and the Everglades.

If you commute to work, you probably pick your route based on what's fastest. You might try to take roads with the least traffic or the highest travel speed. But that can be hard when traffic is bad and speeds are slow. Should you stick with your original route or look for alternatives?

With Donald Trump's choices for secretaries of transportation and of housing and urban development — Elaine Chao and Dr. Ben Carson, respectively — there may be hints about the urban agenda Trump's administration may be shaping.

A contentious debate sprung up at the Miami-Dade County Planning Advisory Board meeting Monday as the board weighed in on whether or not to allow a commercial retail development inside rural Horse Country.

Horse Country, a two square mile area between Southwest 40th Street and Southwest 72nd Street along the Florida Turnpike, has been preserved as agricultural land since the 1970s. Miami-Dade County has more than 60,000 acres of agricultural land, but Horse Country is unique in being one of the most concentrated rural spaces within the county.

On our rundown: violent protests by thousands against Haitian President Michel Martelly, the Dominican Republic’s decision to strip the citizenship of Dominicans of Haitian descent, and allegations that the Fort Lauderdale and Miami Gardens police are engaging in racial profiling. Plus: we look at how the Miami Book Fair has grown since it began 30 years ago.

A battle over plans to build a new Walmart in Midtown Miami continued Wednesday night before the city's Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board.

Although both sides of the issue attended the meeting, the focus instead was squarely on the numbers, two in particular: 21 and 27. These are the zoning ordinances that govern the use and design of land in midtown.

Miami-Dade County commissioners on Wednesday opened the door to more warehouses and offices west of Doral, agreeing to expand the Urban Development Boundary to include a 521 acre-chunk already surrounding by buildings.